Starting Anew

I ordered the food calmly and told Jake, "You do need to go easy on the spices after drinking too much last night. If you're still unwell, you should probably take some medicine instead of being too picky with your food."

I took out some pills and handed it over to him. "Take this after lunch."

Jake's expression softened when he saw the medicine. "My wife is such a darling!"

A flash of resentment appeared in Sonia's eyes, and her gaze turned sharp as she looked into my eyes.

Sonia was being rather hasty in letting her intentions known, given that we had just met for the first time.

"That's considerate of you, but have you ever thought about lightening Jake's load in terms of supporting the family?"

She suggested that I was a homebody who never worked a day in my life.

I glanced at Jake and smiled. "I can't help it. Jake doesn't want me out in public because he's worried that I might get kidnapped or something. After we got married, he insisted that I don't work."

Jake displayed a rare touch of pride when he heard that. "Mindy used to be a top student at AEA University—a rising star in the design field! Her handiwork commands the highest of prices!"

All of a sudden, Sonia said in a high-pitched voice, "Really?! You're amazing! I wish I wasn't such a dunderhead."

I looked at her calmly and replied, "You wouldn't have been employed as his assistant if you were a dunderhead. You're just being modest."

She had to do better than that if she wanted to feign humility. Professional workplaces were exceedingly harsh for women, and a dumb young lady who knew nothing could never be qualified to become Jake's assistant.

As soon as I talked back, her expression soured to the extreme. At long last, that made her shut up.

Jake nodded and said, "Hear that? You should still strive to improve yourself!"

Sonia looked at him, somewhat peeved. "Okay, okay! Your wife is obviously more talented than I am."

"That she is!"

I forced a smile while watching them bicker. I was sure that Jake did not notice the doting look in his eyes when he looked at Sonia.

Lunch was fast becoming a chore, but Jake soon remembered that there was a reason I asked to meet him for lunch.

"By the way, you said you had something to say to me, right? What is it about?"

"It's personal. Just between the two of us," I replied.

Sonia wiped her mouth and asked, "What could that be?"

I looked at her as she leaned closer. "I don't think it's very appropriate for you to listen in, but I suppose you're welcome to do so if you want."

Her face lit up in joy and she immediately sat still.

I proceeded to serve Jake the divorce papers.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked, frowning.

"It should be obvious enough already. Please sign it if you're satisfied with the conditions."

Jake was displeased. "Don't throw a tantrum on me, Mindy."

When Sonia spotted the divorce papers, she covered her mouth in apparent shock, but the subtle flash of delight in her eyes belied her joy.

I smiled at them. "You already have a confidante, so why do you still need me?"

"This has to be a misunderstanding, Ms. Bridgerton. There's nothing going on between Jake and I. In any case, you can't be demanding half his net worth with the divorce. How will his company tide through this?"

I slammed my hand on the table and looked into Jake's eyes. "Do you have a problem with those conditions? These are all considered to be joint property after our marriage, Jake. Is it not within the law to demand half?"

Jake stood up while clenching his fists and immediately dragged me out.

Sonia wanted to come along, but he turned around and said, "You can head back to the company."

Jake got into the car after shoving me in and sped off in an instant.

"What is going on, Mindy?! If this is about Sonia, then there's absolutely no need for you to kick up a fuss! She's just my assistant! If you don't like her, I can always terminate her employment."

I stared at him and declared. "I want a divorce. Plain and simple."

Jake took a bend on the junction ahead and turned the steering wheel abruptly. "Not a chance! Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill when there's nothing wrong in the first place?"